NEWSMatt Damon 'Can't Imagine' Living Under Public 'Scrutiny' Like Pal Ben Affleck: 'I've Been Really Lucky'
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been best friends since they were children.
Matt Damon is reflecting on his time in Hollywood — and how different his experience has been compared to his best friend Ben Affleck.
During a recent guest appearance on the "Radio Times Podcast" to promote his and Casey Affleck's new film The Instigators, Matt admitted: "25 years ago, the gossip magazine culture was huge, but they ignored me."
Matt Damon couldn't 'imagine' living under 'scrutiny' like his close pal Ben Affleck.
"I wasn’t an exciting story; the guy who’s married, it’s boring!" quipped the Jason Bourne actor, who tied the knot with his wife, Luciana Barroso, 48, in 2005 before welcoming their three daughters — Isabella, 18, Gia, 16, and Stella, 13. (Matt is also a stepdad to Luciana's daughter Alexia, 24, whom she had during a previous relationship.)
"Scandal and s--, that’s what people would read magazines for. I’ve been really lucky," Matt confessed, noting his Good Will Hunting costar hasn't been as fortunate.
Matt Damon married his wife, Luciana Barroso, in 2005.
The Martian star explained: "Especially when I look at Casey’s brother, Ben. We’ve had parallel careers in a lot of ways, but I can’t imagine living under that scrutiny for 25 years."
Matt, 53, and Ben, 51, met as kids in the 1980s, when they lived two blocks away from one another in Cambridge, Mass., at ages 10 and 8, respectively.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been friends since the early 1980s.
The Air costars lived out their dreams of becoming famous actors together, however, Ben's time in the spotlight has included countless headlines about his love life, sobriety journey and more.
In the media world, the early 2000s featured frequent coverage of Ben's love story with Jennifer Lopez — whom he is currently married to but is rumored to be divorcing.
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The pair got engaged for the first time in 2002 but called off their plans to marry by the beginning of 2004.
Almost two decades later, the Gone Girl actor and the "On the Floor" singer rekindled their relationship, finally tying the knot in July 2022.
As kids, the dynamic duo lived just two blocks away from each other in Cambridge, Mass.
Between the couple's initial engagement and reconciliation, Ben married Jennifer Garner in 2005.
As expected, Ben found himself back at the top of celebrity news coverage when he and the 13 Going on 30 actress announced their split in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018.
The former spouses share three kids: Violet, 18, Fin (née Seraphina), 15, and Samuel, 12.
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Of course, the Batman vs Superman actor's second proposal and ongoing speculation about issues within his marriage to the "Jenny From the Block" hitmaker have also been media catnip, though they have yet to comment on the divorce speculation.
